Kai's secret
by POKEMONTRAINERGOLDPKMNSPECIAL
Summary: PLEASE dont hate or swear
1. Part 1

Two faces peered out of the thick, thorny umbrage carefully. They scrutinized the dark, murky fortress before them and analyzed the situation.

"Okay," began Tyson, his tone of voice slightly hinting impatience. "Storm has been kidnapped again."

"No surprise there," Kai added.

" And we need to rescue her."

"No problem there! Oh "

"So what are we waiting for?"

Kai looked down, disappointed. "I forgot my bey."

"Forget it Kai. You don't need a bey to save Storm."

"Yeah I do," he argued fervently. "It's my lucky bey."

Tyson waved the subject off. "It doesn't matter. Come on, you beyless freak, let's get a move on."

The two Boys crept stealthily towards the castle gates, hoping their mission would go as smoothly as all the others.

"Let me go, you big, ugly brute!" Storm kicked and shouted as she was carried over Dark dranzer's shoulder.

"No use fighting wolf. You know you love me."

"Ugh, someone gag me, please."

Dark Dranzer stopped walking. "You mean it?"

Storm gawked in disgust. "Ewe! NO!"

The Bird king shrugged and continued walking down the hall to the dungeon. "Just checking."

"Pervert "

Depositing the wolf on the floor, he stepped back and grinned smugly.

"All you have to do is say the magic word Storm, and you can have your freedom."

"Tsk, yeah freedom from these ropes! Find some other broad to kidnap. There's no way I'm marrying you."

Dark dranzer sneered at her and crossed to the exit. "Why don't you think about it?"

"In your dreams!" she shouted as the thick, wooden door to the prison slammed loudly. Sighing dejectedly, Storm shifted her weight to make herself more comfortable in the barely lit cellar. She jumped at the sound of immediate growling, snarling, maybe even barking. Swallowing, she wondered just what was in the dungeon with her when she was distracted by another noise; a nearby pipe's lid, which had been nailed shut, came crashing off, and out popped the boys. Storm, of course, was ecstatic.

"Oh, Tyson! And ...who are you?"

Casting a confused glance around him, Kai shrugged. "Kai. Who else would I be?"

" oh yeah! Didn't recognize you without the bey."

The young man frowned at his friend who had already started to loosen the ropes from Storm.

"I'm so glad you two are here!" she breathed. "I have a bad feeling that we're not alone."

At this point, the door slammed open again and Dark dranzer stormed in.

"Well, not anymore at least," grumbled Tyson.

Dark dranzer roared. "What's this? Tyson? He turned to the younger boy with an odd look on his face. "Who the heck are you?!"

Exhaling heavily, Kai threw his hands up in the air. "I'm Kai! Geez "

"Oh right! By the way, you're missing your bey. Well, hiwatari and Granger, this is a nice surprise."

"No kidding. Considering we meet you about every other week "

"That's beside my point. I'll let you have the wolf "

"Really?" the duo exclaimed in unison.

" if you can get past my latest form of defense."

"And that would be?" asked Tyson, unfazed.

"You'll see." Nothing happened for a second or two, until they noticed the low growling. Cautiously, Tyson crept closer to the sound which came from behind a steel barred gate.

"Well, I hear it," Kai commented just before the thing coughed and a big pile of spit flew into his friend's face.

" I feel it," Tyson grumbled, wiping it off with his sleeve disgustedly. Storm looked over his shoulder as two ugly yellow-orange eyes pierced the dark cage.

"Now I see it!" she cried out, gulping.

"Stand back!" Tyson shouted as the gate lifted. More angry yellow eyes joined the first pair, and the boys had a feeling these creatures didn't come in peace. A troop of Koopas emerged from the cage, but these were no ordinary overgrown reptiles. These turtles were ravenous, wild, and far more threatening. Tyson, Kai and Storm were quite anxious as they were surrounded in what was slowly becoming a ring of wild Koopas.

"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," Tyson mumbled.

"I don't think Dark dranzer is sane anymore! What did you do to them?" cried Kai, staring nervously at the angry, red-shelled animals.

"That's none of your concern. Right now you should be running for your lives."

"Their like rabid dogs," noticed Tyson, swallowing hard.

Kai looked at him from the corners of his eyes. "Well, this wasn't part of the plan. What now, genius?"

Tyson just shrugged helplessly, backed against his friend, the two of them slowly turning, Storm helplessly wringing her hands next to them. The circle of maddened turtles sneered, baring their teeth at the boys.

"Use your swords!" storm shouted at them, trying her best to stay out of reach.

"Why is she always the smart one?" Kai wondered aloud, unsheathing his long steel weapon alongside Tyson. With a unison shout, they attacked. Every Koopa in their reach was sliced away or stabbed Dead. Dark dranzer groaned, instantly knowing he was losing the battle.

Kai almost laughed as he fought, swinging his Sword left and right. "One little, two little, three little Koopas " SMACK, BAM. "Four little five little-" CRUNCH.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, tugging on his end of the Sword, the other end clenched between a Koopa's fearsome teeth. "Give it back!" They played tug of war until it snapped in half with a loud crack. Kai stared at the broken end sadly.

"Don't tell me ' WHAM ' that was your lucky Sword," grunted Tyson, still beating off the beasts. Kai frowned angrily.

"No, but it was my favorite-agh! Get off!" He tried to shake himself free from a Koopa that had latched onto his lower arm, it's sharp teeth biting down hard. "AGH! Tyson!"

At the same time, Storm screamed as a Koopa charged her way. Leaping over two more of the monsters, Tyson slashed it away swiftly before it had a chance to get close. Storm sighed, relieved.

"Whoa!" The Koopa tugged on Kai's arm, dragging him down. He fell to the ground with a grunt, his eyes growing wide as the circle of what few monsters remained grew tighter around him. "Uh Tyson?"

"Got ya!" His friend slashed the beasts away, and the hungry Koopa relented, releasing Kai's arm and retreating. Tyson took his hand, grabbing the wolf's as well, and they ran to their freedom.

"Adios Dark dranzerino!" called Kai before he pushed Storm down the pipe and slid in himself.

"Ciao!" shouted Tyson gleefully.

Dark dranzer grumbled to himself. "I should never cut deals with boys."

"You should have been more careful," Tyson admonished as the nurse cleaned and bandaged his friend.

"I'd like to see you try and fight off some crazy Koopas, without your lucky bey and with only half your favorite Sword. OW!" he yelped. "That stings."

"Be a big boy, and you'll get a lolly," teased the nurse. Kai leered at Tyson. "Looks like I've got a mother to pamper me-yeowch!"

"Will you be all right Kai?" asked Storm worriedly.

"Oh yeah," he boasted, flexing his bandaged arm. "I'm as strong as an ox! Oooh " He grunted painfully.

"And twice as stupid," mumbled Tyson.

"Hey! I resent that!"

"Well maybe it would teach you to be more careful!" Tyson retorted before storming from the room.

"Sheesh, what's eating him?" Kai muttered under his breath, clearly hurt.

"He he only cares for you, Kai," Storm began gently.

"Yeah, well, he has a funny way of showing it." The younger boy scowled at the back of the door sadly.

Silent, angry and hurtful stares were exchanged some nights later at supper. The Boys ate their meals glumly, still apparently mad with each other, while Storm nearly went insane after trying for days to reconcile them.

Finally, Tyson cleared his throat. "Um, how is your arm doing?"

Kai grew strangely defensive and nervous about this subject, and he drew in his arms, thankful for his long arm glove. "It's fine," he answered curtly.

"Come on, Kai. I want to know."

"I said it's fine, isn't that good enough?"

Tyson opened his mouth to shoot some sharp reply, but shut it quickly and decided against it. He really didn't want to start a war, but Kai was acting funny.

More moments of silence passed and the wolf broke it suddenly by slamming her spoon onto the table loudly.

"Would you two just please kiss and make up?" she cried.

Kai glanced at her, then back at his Friend.

"Sure."

"Whatever."

"Oh yeah, that's love," replied Storm sarcastically. "Of you two can't be civil, then-"

"Forget it, Storm. I'll save you the trouble." With those words, Kai left the table just after giving his friend a cold stare.

"My, he's moody this week," stated Tyson as if noticing polished floors.

Storm threw up her hands in exasperation. "He's your Friend, not mine. That makes him your problem."

Tyson watched his friend stalk up the stairs to his room, wishing he could get to the bottom of Kai's troubles without starting a riot.

Kai shut his door and locked it hurriedly, leaning his back against it. Closing his eyes, he wearily slid down along the massive plank of wood until he sat on the floor, knees drawn up to his chest. Sighing deeply, he opened his eyes, ridden with worry. In the safety of his own palace room, he slowly rolled down his glove. Carefully peeling back a corner of the white bandage, his face went pale.

The skin under the white cotton pad was scaly, the lightest shade of green imaginable. His face marred with a frown, he closed his eyes and pulled his glove back up, letting his head bang back against the door.

**'You hate him, don't you?'** Kai more deeply at the strange voice.

No! I don't hate Tyson! He's .just

**Sometimes you just want to kill him.**

No! Never!

**Come on, don't tell me you never think that way. Remember when he threw you in the pool to try and "teach" you swimming when you were a kid?**

Yeah, I do. But that's no reason to kill him!

**And when he put peanuts in your trail mix? You were allergic to peanuts.**

It it was an honest mistake.

**No it wasn't. He was trying to kill you.**

No.

**No what? Don't you sometimes wish he were dead?**

No!

**Yes you do. You're thinking it right now.**

I'm not-

**It would be so easy Kai. To kill Tyson. KILL TYSON.**

Kai opened his eyes and put his hands over his ears, trying to shut out the voice.

**KILL TYSON...**

Kai shut his eyes again, tightly this time. Soon, thought, he felt a strange exhaustion overtake him, his body relaxing slowly. When he opened his eyes again, they were glazed over, and he stared straight ahead, slowly losing control. **KILL TYSON.**

"Kill Tyson," he whispered, blinking lethargically.


	2. part 2

He changed into his nightclothes. He pulled back the sheets. He snapped off the light and-

Creak. What was that? Under the crack below his door he saw twin shadows blocking the light from the hall. Tyson snapped the dim light back on and opened his door. Kai stood outside, staring at him blankly.

"Oh," began Tyson, mustering up his apology. "Hey I uh, wanna say I'm sorry, for-"

"Kill Tyson," Kai interrupted, muttering incoherently.

"What?" sighed Tyson impatiently, not liking to be interrupted.

"Kill Tyson," his friend whispered, his unseeing eyes gazing at Tyson eerily. The elder frowned a little, hearing the words but not yet understanding.

"What did you say?" he asked softly, disbelieving. Kai's eyes dropped to the floor for a moment or two. When he looked up, they were a reptilian yellow, his pupils reduced to vertical slits.

"Kill Tyson," he sneered, voice growing louder and more intense as he stepped nearer. "Kill Tyson, kill Tyson "

"K-Kai!" begged Tyson as he backed up quickly. "Stop it, you're creeping me out!"

"Kill Tyson." One step forward.

"Kai!" Two steps backwards.

"Kill Tyson." Two steps.

"Stop it!" One step. Tyson was cornered, and his friend took the chance to lash out with his hand, his fingers bent into claws, trying to swipe his friend's face. Tyson dodged the attack, grabbing Kai's arm firmly in an iron grip and demanding him. "Stop!"

His younger friend's face was curled into a sneer, which slowly melted with the command of "Look at me!" Kai kept staring, then blinked once or twice, rubbing an eye with his free hand. He glanced around the room, confused.

"What am I doing here?" he asked, breathless.

Tyson was befuddled, to say the least. Kai turning evil and wanting to kill him, then suddenly forgetting anything had ever happened. It was as if he had no control over his mind, his thoughts

"You don't remember anything?" snapped Tyson hurriedly.

"No. Don't be so short with me."

Tyson was struck with an idea. (Ouch! That must hurt.) "Give me your arm."

"No," countered Kai defensively.

"Kai "

"I said no!" The young hiwatari turned on his heel to leave the room, but he stopped himself just on the threshold, a sweaty palm grasping the doorway. Tense silence subdued the room.

"What are you hiding?" his friend pleaded gently. Without further prodding, Kai slowly and shamefully turned around and approached Tyson. With a trembling hand, he rolled down his glove.

"This," he answered hoarsely, pulling back the bandage. Tyson gasped in surprise. Around the diminishing teeth marks on Kai's arm, his skin was pale green, scaly, and so

Koopa-like.

"This can't be real," Tyson breathed, holding his brothers arm and lightly running his fingers along his skin.

"It is." A long pause. "You still didn't say what happened."

"What happened when?"

"Just now."

Tyson held his breath. "You were .trying to kill me."

"What?!"

"Yeah. You just kept saying that over and over: kill Tyson."

"No, no, no." Kai shook his head, incredulous. "No way I would do that."

"You did."

Silence again. Kai swallowed hard. "I did hear something like a voice it said that a lot."

Tyson didn't respond. He was thinking. If Kai got a bite from a wild Koopa, it must be almost like turning him into a Koopa. Turning him against his friend, Luigi's wife and the BBA.

"We've got to stop this," said Tyson determinedly. "Before it happens again."

"It won't," Kai quickly reassured. "It won't happen again. I promise."

"But-"

"I won't listen to that voice anymore. I'll plug my ears or something. I swear." Eyes searching eyes, finding the trust that each other wanted. Tyson finally nodded, only half convinced.

"All right."

"Maybe it will wear off on its own."

" Maybe." Kai sounded so confident, so sure that everything would be fine; Tyson hated to be the voice of doom. The truth was, Kai wasn't so sure himself. He hoped his voice didn't crack when he told his friend, "Let's just get some sleep."

Same as the night after. He changed into his nightclothes. He pulled back the sheets-

Kill Tyson.

What?

Kill Tyson.

No, no, no

Kill T-

"Stop it," Kai hissed, looking around his room as if the voice was coming from somewhere nearby. To his surprise, it did. Grinning victoriously out of one side of his mouth, he shut off the light and climbed into bed.

Kill Storm.

What?!

Kill Storm.

"No, no. I won't listen." Kai sat up in bed and covered his ears, holding his breath.

Kill Storm.

"Stop," he whispered, pleading. "Stop it." He closed his eyes and squeezed them shut as if to keep whatever was talking to him from prying them open again.

Kill Storm. Kill Storm. The voice echoed in his mind, unrelenting, unmerciful. Kai finally exhaled, slowly and tiredly as his head drooped low. His hands dropped to his sides. His eyes snapped open, and they held that same monstrous desire for evil, that same devilish yellow hue.

Storm herself was already asleep until her door creaked open. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and looked around.

"Hum Kai?" she muttered before falling back down on the pillow. Yet now she heard something like a voice.

"Wha-?" She sat straight up, looking around the room. She could have sworn her saw the figure of a man leaning against a wall. She shook her head; he disappeared. Or maybe he just slunk into the shadows

She lay back down, and for a moment heard nothing. Then a voice, so horrible and frightening it chilled her blood.

"Kill Storm," it whispered into the darkness. The Wolf was convinced she was hearing thing, but her body froze just the same. She looked around with her eyes, not daring to move. "Kill Storm." The voice was closer now, hanging right in her ear. It sounded terribly familiar She rolled over, whirling around, and faced Kai squarely, his impassive face close to hers, but his yellow eyes filled with murder.

Storm started a piercing, high pitched scream, and the Boy cut her off, covering her nose and mouth with one hand. She twisted and writhed, unable to breath, but he was much more powerful that she remembered. She tried to pull his hand off, but it was clamped down too hard. She stared at Kai with terrified eyes, begging him to stop. He returned her gaze blankly.

"Shhhh ." he whispered slowly, softly, holding a finger up to his lips. Storm couldn't last much longer, her lungs began to burn. She eventually stopped moving, stopped struggling. She blinked sleepily, her eyes starting to roll.

"Kai!" Tyson shouted from the bedroom door. "Stop!"

The blank response made him shiver. "Kill Storm "

Tyson charged his Friend, made a mighty leap over Storm and her bed and tackled Kai on the floor. Rolling on top of him, he tried to talk to his friend who pushed against him, thrashing as if he were possessed.

"Kai, look at me!" With more strength than the lean boy ever possessed, he easily threw Tyson off of him, standing up and growling like an animal.

Tyson held his head in his hand after it struck the hard marble floor. He was relieved to hear Storm gasping for air, then panicked when Kai pounced on top of him, pinning him down.

"Kill Tyson," he sneered, baring his teeth which had strangely changed shape. To Tyson's chagrin, they were sharp, pointy .ready to bite anything that got in their way. He tried sitting up but his efforts were in vain. His friend's frigid scaly fingers dug into his upper arms, forcing him into the cold white marble.

"K-Kai! Look at me! Remember me?"

Kai growled deep in this throat unnaturally, not responding.

"Remember, uh remember when we lived in New York? Huh? All those good times we had?" Tyson struggled for words. "Um remember the time I took you fishing?...*To the pet shop?"

Kai showed no sign of recognition. Instead he hissed at his friend, a nasty, snake-like tongue flipping out of his mouth.

Tyson would have screamed if Storm hadn't smacked Kai unconscious, swinging her scepter like a baseball bat. He fell to the floor, not moving, and the Wolf gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. Her repentant, confused eyes met Tyson's.

"I'm I'm sorry," she whispered lamely, saline gathering in her eyes. He stood up, holding her arms gently.

"It's all right, Stormy. Shh "

"I didn't know what to do I'm sorry."

"Storm, it's all right."

She drew a trembling breath. "What happened to him?"

Tyson did not know where to begin. Yet the story was told, and Storm's face blanched. "Oh Tyson. I'm so sorry." All the boy could do was hold her.

Tyson watched and waited by his friend's bed, waited until his eyelids fluttered open. Kai groaned and tried rubbing his face, but his hands wouldn't move. On further investigation, he found his arms tied above his head with rope. Deflating, he cursed under his breath, and noticed Tyson. He turned his head away, feeling the color rise to his face.

"i did it again dident i?"

Tyson nodded, then cleared his throat after remembering his friend could not see him. "Yeah."

"Storm knows?"

"I uh, think she got the hint."

Kai's head snapped towards his friend. "I didn't hurt her did I?"

Tyson shook his head briskly. "No, no. She's okay. I told her everything."

The conversation was slow and delayed. "What's with the ropes?"

"You were out of control."

Kai gritted his teeth grimy. "Times like these I wish I knew the words to 'Oops, I did it again'."

"That's not funny," Tyson snapped.

"You're right! It's not!" Kai retorted loudly. He glared at his friend for a moment or two, then shut his eyes, looking away.

"What are we going to do?"

A frightening pause. "I'm not sure. The doctors .they don't know what to think."

"Screw the doctors," Kai whispered, blinking back tears. "I'm I'm just kind of scared, you know?"

Tyson gently placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Yeah, I know." Kai tilted his head so that his cheek rested on the hand. More silence. Kai was thinking.

"What's going to happen to me, Tyson?"

Tyson could only wish he had the answer. All he could come up with was "I don't know" and a shrug. He held his tongue, however, staying silent. He let his brother rest upon his hand, and he drifted off to sleep beside him.

It was still dark when Tyson awoke later that night, hardly knowing he had fallen asleep. He wanted to rest longer, but his position for the chair was hardly comfortable. He rubbed his eyes, yawning.

"Hey, Kai," he croaked, not fully alert yet. "How ya doing?" No answer. Tyson looked at the bed, then jumped out of his chair, heart beating fast. The bed was empty; the scrap of rope was chewed through, and the imprint of his brother on the sheets was all that remained.

"Kai?" Tyson searched the room high and low, the lamps brightening every corner. His friend was no where to be found. With a sickening realization, he leapt from the room and slid into the hall. "Oh, please, no."

Storm's bedroom. He snapped on the night, running to the bundle of covers that clumped on the bed. "Storm?" He threw back the sheets

The Wolf was gone.

A light breeze distracted Tyson before he could think. He ran to the open window, slapping the wispy white curtains out of his face. His sweaty hands gripped the window sill as he peered into the shadows of the night. He looked down and saw only bushes and grass.

"Kai!" he shouted, his lone voice echoing through-out the dark hills. No answer. No stirring. Nothing.

Hopelessly gazing upward, the stars watched him, some twinkling from their celestial perch as if laughing at him, taunting "Tyson's lost his friend! Tyson's lost his friend "

Pushing himself off the window Tyson raced back to his room, snatching up something green and going to the one place he thought Kai could be

Dark dranzer's Keep. 


	3. Part 3

Storm trembled in her chains, sitting on the floor of Koopa's throne room. She didn't like the new Kai, who loomed over her like an animal, waiting for her to move. The new Kai was evil, the old one was good. This one eyed her like his prey. She looked away when Dark Dranzer's shadow fell over her slight form.

"Comfortable, Storm?"

"No," she retorted firmly through clenched teeth. She whispered tearfully. "How could you do this to him?"

Dark dranzer shrugged carelessly. "I never even planned on it to happen. But since it has, I'm ecstatic. Why, I might as well infect you Ray Max and Tyson while I'm at it." Storm's blood froze.

"You wouldn't," she breathed, disbelieving eyes locked on Dark dranzer's.

"Imagine! Taking over japan by making them just like me " Dark dranzer grinned at the thought. "No sense in wasting time my dear. It's time for you to become one of us "

No," Storm cried softly, unable to tear her eyes away from the once-Boy that stalked nearer, baring his gruesome teeth. "No, Kai!" He grabbed her wrists forcefully, ignoring her pleas and drawing his mouth closer to her neck.

"Kai! Stop!"

He turned his head at the voice, growling deep in his throat. He stood up slowly, turning around, and Tyson gasped at his friend's appearance. Almost all of his visible skin was that sick, light color green, his eyes were still bright yellow but now two nasty fangs jutted from his mouth, and his fingernails were long and sharp.

"I know no Kai," he rumbled, his voice frighteningly deep, like that of a demon. Tyson was tempted to think he was not looking at his friend but a monster.

"Y-yeah," he stuttered. "Yeah, sure you do. Don't be stupid. You're Kai!"

"You try my patience, human." Kai stood up, lowering his head but focusing his eyes on his friend.

Tyson began to back away until he remembered something. He dug around his pocket, pulling out Kai's bey,"Kai it's your bey dranzer" he pleas. Tyson took two more steps backwards.

"Kai! You can't forget your bey! Try to remember!" he cried.

"Of course he can, he's forgotten everything," interjected Dark dranzer with malicious glee. Tyson shot him a nasty glare out of the corner of his eye.

"Who asked you?" Tyson's eyes grew wide in panic-no, terror, when his friend revealed a twisted knife. He backed away more quickly, careful not to walk into any walls. "Whoa, Kai listen. Listen to me!"

"Why should I listen to you?" Kai growled, his deep voice running chills up Tyson's spine. The latter floundered for words.

"Because...because I'm, I'm your Best friend!"

Kai stopped in his tracks for only a second, closing his eyes. Then she shook his head, still advancing with the same fury and murder.

"Kill Tyson."

"No, no Kai, let's talk about this!"

"Kill Tyson."

"Kai! Listen to what you're saying!"

"Kill Tyson."

Finally he had enough. Waiting for Kai to come close enough, Tyson dodged every swing he took with the knife. "Kai!" Duck. "Just !" Shy away. " cool it!" Another swing, and Tyson raised his leg, kicking the knife out of Kai's hands. The literally green boy glared at him, advancing still. He needed to knife to infect his friend.

Out of ideas, Tyson was cornered, literally. Kai's face came close to his own, and he caught a glimpse of ugly yellow teeth.

"Kai, no!" Tyson grabbed his friend's face in his hands, trying to stop its course towards his own. He strained with the effort and fear, surprised at his friend's strength. He felt hot breath on his neck, whispering, "Join us."

Tyson squeezed his eyes shut and pushed with all his might.

"No!" Ray shouted from across the room trying to break free from his bonds. "Kai, stop it!"

The distraction was enough. Tyson kneed his friend in the stomach and slid towards the knife, picking it up in one smooth motion. Not believing he was doing so, he aimed it in the monster Kai's direction who still stalked closer, unafraid.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Kai, Kai listen to me!"

No answer. Just ominous dark footsteps.

"Kai, you can't forget you're friend Tyson! You can't!" He found himself uselessly backed into a wall again, not even realizing he had been moving. "You can't join the Koopas, they're evil!"

"And who will stop me?" Kai growled in his thunderous voice, drawing nearer. "You?" Tyson still grasped the knife in two hands, but as he grew more intimidated he slowly lowered it to his waist, the butt of the handle pressing into his stomach, the sharp point facing outward. He swallowed, throat suddenly very dry. The monster threw himself against the wall facing Tyson, his hands slapping against cold stone to stop his momentum. The boy cringed.

"You think you will stop me? Our race is undefeatable." Tyson shook his head, not wanting to believe what he was hearing. Not wanting to believe that the unearthly voice was coming from his friend. Not wanting to believe this beast before him, the beast that wanted to kill him, was once his friend.

The monster's face drew dangerously close to Tyson's. "What are you going to do?" he challenged intensely. "Huh? What?" The monster stepped even closer, and the blade of the knife sank into his midsection. Grunting softly, he lowered his head, looking at the hands that grasped the handle of the blade. Everything seemed so slow

Tyson's eyes grew wide, his mouth flew open, and he too glanced downward. His fists, slowly being covered in blood, were pressed up against his waist; the knife kept as far away as it could have been. He and the monster's pants were staining dark red.

"No!" Max screamed, his eyes never leaving the scene before him. Tyson's did however, and he gazed, stricken, into his friend's gray mass of hair.

He watched as Kai weakly lifted his head only enough to meet eyes; to his horror, rather than relief, the green tint had left his face, and the yellow had left his eyes. Kai stared at Tyson, his boyish features restored, his expression curious, his stormy gray eyes anguished. He tried to form his Friend's name on his lips, but it seemed to take all eternity.

"Tt .Tyson?" His frail, trembling voice cracked, and his knees gave out beneath him.

Eyes still wide, Tyson caught his friend under his arms, lowering him slowly to the tiled marble floor. Tyson sank down with him, carefully twisting his friend so he lay on his back, his head resting in his lap, Mario's legs straddling his body.

"...Tyson "

"No no, shh, don't talk," Tyson whispered hurriedly, holding a finger to his friend's lips. Kai's every breath was a fight, his eyes were locked on some far away object in a corner where the ceiling met the wall.

"I'm I'm s'rry "

"Shh."

"S'rry fer hurtin' the other's."

"No, there's okay, there's fine."

Storm watched with a horrified stare, blinking back tears.

"Sorry for not being careful "

"No no, don't worry about that." Tyson snatched his brother's right hand and grasped it tightly.

"T' sorry " Kai breathed. Tyson cursed softly and wiped away his tears with his knuckles clumsily.

"No, Kai. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for for not letting you go back and get your lucky bey."

Kai smiled faintly at the joke, then gasped, mouth opening wider, needing the air that wouldn't come. Mario held his face in his hands, as if trying to help him achieve his impossible goal.

"Maybe then none of this would have happened," Tyson mumbled. "I'm sorry I let you down. I'm sorry I-"

"N't your fault " the younger boy sighed, staring at that distant spot near the ceiling. " Tyson."

Chin trembling, Tyson glanced away. "Yeah. Yeah it is." Looking back down at his friend, he wiped away his tears so could better see. Kai wasn't moving. His eyes frozen, his mouth parted slightly-not moving.

"No. No Kai! Wake up!" His friend never answered, never moved never breathed.

"Kai I'm sorry!" Tyson sobbed, losing control. He cradled his friend's face, stiff in death. "I'm so sorry " Ray felt himself go limp in shock, and would have collapsed had a sudden strength and anger not coursed through her viens. he shouted at Dark dranzer, unvisible through his tears. "You did this to him! You murderer!" he sobbed uncontrollably. "You murderer!"

Tyson stared again at his dead friend, growing silent. This isn't happening, he thought. He's not dead...this isn't happening...he's not dead... He closed his eyes in despair and defeat, the hands that cradled his friend's face beginning to tremble as Dark dranzer's maniacle laugh grew louder and more mocking.

(the end) 


End file.
